It is transfer deadline day for football's most competitive league - the Premier League - when clubs can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club.

In the cut and thrust of football's transfer market are the agents. Among them, Kees Vos - who has been described as one of the most influential figures in world football. As agent to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, he is said to control the ins and outs of the club.

Matt Lines talks to him about the stories behind the headline transfer sagas and how the industry has changed during his 20 years in the business.

(Photo: Kees Vos. Credit: SEG Entertainment)

Presented/produced by Matt Lines

As temperatures rise, productivity falls.

Extreme global temperatures are draining tens of billions of dollars in economic productivity every year from some of the world’s biggest cities. It’s not just outdoor jobs that are impacted, but office work too.

In this episode, we ask work leaders, economists and employees what can be done to work around hot weather. From changing working hours to introducing heatwave insurance.

(Picture: Labourer drinking from a water bottle, in the sunshine. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Megan Lawton

As Spain's La Liga gets underway, we explore the global advertising appeal and earning potential of one of its newest football stars.

Jude Bellingham is a 21-year-old midfielder from England who plays for Real Madrid, and he's hitting the peak of his career.

The face of several brands, with major endorsement deals and more courting his attention, we explore his global advertising appeal, and how he might manage these partnerships while still focusing on his game.

Presented and produced by Matt Lines

(Image: Jude Bellingham holding the UEFA Champion's League trophy on 1 June 2024. Credit: Getty Images)

We explore the fashion trend that involves minimal labels and logos.

Loved by celebrities and social media influencers, what is it about the quiet luxury trend that is so appealing – particularly in countries like China?

And can you follow the 'stealth wealth' trend on a low budget?

(Picture: Woman standing in luxury hotel suite looking at view with curtains blowing in wind. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Gabriele Shaw

A showdown looms between Hungary and Poland and the rest of the EU over the bloc's latest budget, which includes a Covid economic recovery fund worth nearly $900bn. Hungary and Poland blocked approval of the budget earlier in the month over a clause that ties funding with adherence to the rule of law in the bloc, something both countries have been accused of undermining. With the fate of businesses and livelihoods hanging in the balance, the two sides will meet in mid-December at a summit to discuss how they can break the impasse. We hear from Brussels-based reporter Beatriz Ríos, Zoltán Kovács, a spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and German MEP Dennis Radtke.

(Picture credit: Getty Images) .

Economics has a solution to halt rapid deforestation but can it be implemented? This year has seen some of the worst-ever fires destroy vast tracts of the Amazon rainforest as land there is cleared for farming. We hear how the field of economics may have come up with a solution to halt the Amazon’s rate of deforestation - and what’s needed to set that in motion. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Michael Greenstone, Professor of economics at the University of Chicago and to Professor Luciana Gatti, a researcher at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research which monitors greenhouse gas emissions in Amazon.

On this edition of Business Weekly, we look at the third Covid vaccine and ask whether the jabs will be the shot in the arm the global economy needs. We hear the story of a 30-year old man evicted by his parents from the family home after he didn’t pay towards his upkeep. But we also ask what happens when parents rely on their children for money. Plus, we hear from the musicians who want more money when we stream their songs. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

How prepping or survivalism has gone mainstream, with Silicon Valley leading the way. Tech entrepreneur Julie Fredrickson tells Manuela Saragosa how she became a prepper after the electricity went out for days in New York after hurricane Sandy hit back in 2012. She also speaks to serial entrepreneur John Ramey, founder of an online community called The Prepared who told her it's the failure of our institutions that has led so many more people to become preppers. And to Bradley Garratt, a social geographer based at University College Dublin in Ireland. He’s just published a book about prepping called Bunker: Building for the end of times. He told her that preppers are everywhere from the US to Germany to Thailand. (Picture: Emergency preparation, natural disaster supplies. Picture credit: Getty Images)

Are NFL players being denied compensation because of racial-norming? Thousands of former American footballers claim they suffered brain injury as players, but are being denied compensation on racial grounds. Ed Butler speaks to Roxanne Gordon, the wife of Amon Gordon, once of the Cleveland Browns, who is one of hundreds of ex-players now claiming compensation from the NFL for brain injury sustained on the field of play. She says that race-norming was used in the testing of his concussion settlement. New York Times journalist, Ken Belson, who's pioneered a lot of the reporting on this story, told him what race-norming is. And Cathy O Neill, author of a book, Weapons of Math Destruction, who also runs Orca, a software auditing company, says race-norming applies in lots of areas of modern life particularly with the increased use of algorithms that can easily dominate and distort the way companies market to consumers, frequently on racial grounds. The NFL says it “remains fully committed to paying all legitimate claims and providing the important benefits that our retired players and their families deserve.”

(Picture: Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings runs the ball as Adrian Amos of the Green Bay Packers tackles on November 01, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Credit: Getty Images.)

With Covid-19 vaccinations preparing to roll out, how do we make sure everyone gets it? John Johnson, a vaccine programme co-ordinator for Doctors without Borders, outlines just how much is involved in getting vaccines, by truck, motorbike and even foot, to every town and village in the developing world. The Covid-19 vaccine, like others, needs to be transported below a certain temperature, adding an extra layer of complexity, as Toby Peters from the University of Birmingham explains. But David Elliot, of Dulas Solar, says technology like their solar-powered refrigerators can help solve the problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Rebecca Weintraub, Faculty Director of the Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard University, is enthusiastic that the world’s institutions can come together to co-ordinate the task.

Producers: Frey Lindsay and Joshua Thorpe.

(Picture: A Malaria vaccine implementation pilot programme in Malawi, April 2019. Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

After Pfizer and Moderna vaccines earlier in the month, a third arrives from the University of Oxford. The question now becomes when the vaccines will be distributed and to whom. We’ll hear from Bruce Y Lee, professor at CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, about just how daunting a task a global inoculation programme will be. Meanwhile, Alex de Jonquieres, the head of the Vaccine Alliance Gavi, explains how they’re trying to make sure every country can afford enough of the vaccine to protect their country. But Kate Elder, senior vaccine policy advisor at Doctors without Borders, says there’s nothing to stop richer countries jumping to the front of the queue.

Producer: Frey Lindsay.

(Image credit: Getty Creative)

Is it up to children to support their parents financially? Manuela Saragosa hears from Lamees Wajahat in Canada, who has been supporting her parents to pay the bills since she had her first part-time job. But is it the duty of the family, or the state to provide? Manuela speaks to Professor Sarah Harper of Oxford University, who argues that opportunities for younger generations are better than ever before, and that family obligations have always been a part of life. (Pic of piggy bank via Getty Images).

In this edition of Business Weekly, we look at Britain’s drive to go green, and how effective the proposed ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars might be. The Chief Operating Officer of the electric vehicle maker Polestar tells us what help the automotive industry needs from the government to persuade people to buy electric. Plus, we meet the first British Royal Air Force officer to openly transition from male to female and chat to her about transgender rights in the workplace. We also look at the digital afterlife and hear from some of the companies promising to manage our online affairs once we’ve passed away. And we discuss why the British Royal Family are still seen as fashion icons. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

Many African countries have been praised for waging effective campaigns against coronavirus, and the region has a relatively low case count compared to Europe and the US. African economies have likewise been hit less hard, and Amandla Ooko-Ombaka of McKinsey and Company explains how a mix of a youthful population, hot climate and swift government response helped many of these economies stay resilient. But Lisa Owino, of the Kenyan human rights organisation KELIN, says in some cases government intervention over-stepped and was overly punitive to ordinary people. And Tosin Eniolorunda, founder & Chief Executive of Nigerian financial services company TeamApt says digital finance tools helped people maintain social distancing while conducting business.

(Picture: Kenyans walk past a mural about the Coronavirus in Nairobi. Picture credit: Getty Images)

Founded in 1901, the International Labour Organisation works with governments of over 180 countries, to help promote internationally recognised labour rights. In all of its 105 year-history, Gilbert F. Houngbo is the first African to be in charge of the UN agency.

In this programme, the ILO leader talks to Rahul Tandon about what he's doing to try to tackle some of the biggest global challenges the world currently faces - from unemployment, to migration, to artificial intelligence.

And we hear about Mr Houngbo's own journey; from a rural upbringing, to studying in Canada, and how he felt when he was asked to serve as Prime Minister of Togo.

(Picture: Gilbert F. Houngbo. Credit: Violaine Martin/ILO)

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producer: Amber Mehmood and Olie D'Albertanson

2019 was a landmark year for investment into digital financial services, or Fintech, across Africa. Despite the pandemic, the Fintech scene is not only still thriving; it’s poised to play a key role in Africa’s economic recovery. Uzoma Dozie, the head of Nigerian startup Sparkle, says with Covid limiting our ability to handle cash, the cashless revolution in Africa is moving along rapidly. But Viola Llewellyn, president of Ovamba Solutions, which helps finance small businesses across Africa, says some sectors of African banking still lagged behind in digital services provision. Barbara Iyayi of Unicorn Growth Capital says Africa has a “perfect storm” of a young population, prevalent mobile services and a low rate of bank account holding, means Fintech will thrive across African economies but the infrastructure needs to be built up more.

(Image credit: Getty Creative)

The companies managing your online life after death. Ed Butler speaks to Tom Ainsworth, CEO of Memories, an online memorial service that provides messages from beyond the grave, and to Rikard Steiber, founder of startup GoodTrust, which aims to help people take control of their digital legacies. Pyschologist Dr Elaine Kasket discusses the phenomenon of online death in the age of the pandemic, and why online legacies may be less permanent than we think.

(Photo: A funeral is livestreamed in Austria earlier this year, Credit: Getty Images)

With Covid rampaging and many economies on life-support, some say we need to look beyond capitalism. A blue-sky thinker, the outspoken former Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, gives his thoughts on a radical alternative to standard market economics, including making all employees shareholders in corporations. And Miatta Fahnbulleh, chief executive of the New Economics Foundation, imagines how this might ever be seriously attempted in practice.

A lack of legal protection in many parts of the world leaves many transgender employees vulnerable. Few countries offer legal protection against discrimination of transgender people. This week is transgender awareness week - what role do companies play in the rights of transgender people? Manuela Saragosa speaks to Caroline Paige, joint chief executive of a UK pressure group called Fighting with Pride. In 1999 she became the first transgender officer to transition openly while serving in the UK Armed Forces, some 19 years after she’d first joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot. South African author of The Pink Line, Mark Gevisser describes the fight to get laws to protect transgender people from discrimination as a new culture war along a human rights frontier. He says one of the most significant markers is which countries allow people to legally change their gender on official documents. Manuela also speaks to Lily Zheng who is a diversity consultant to businesses and organisations and is herself transgender and to Thai university lecturer Kath Khangpiboon, living and working as a woman in Thailand although official documents only recognise her as male.

Pic of Kath Khangpiboon, via Kath Khangpiboon

Excitement and hope this week as the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said it believed that its Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective. On this edition of Business Weekly we’ll look at the logistical challenges of rolling it out. How will it be transported? Who will get access to it - and how much will it cost? Also at a high level climate change conference in London our correspondent chats to chief executives who say capitalism can help the planet - but will they put their money where their mouth is? Plus, what, if anything do parents owe their children? We have the intriguing story of the man who sued his parents because they couldn’t afford him. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Vishala Sri-Pathma.

Is the polling industry the real loser in the American presidential elections? Pollsters have come in for criticism that they misjudged President-elect Biden’s support, and did even worse in the state senate elections. Andrew Gelman, professor of statistics and political science at Columbia University explains why some of the errors were made. Zeynep Tufekci, associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, argues that polling can have a distorting effect on democracy itself, changing how people vote or whether they do at all. Meanwhile, Anthony Wells of UK research firm YouGov explains how the polling industry functions outside of the electoral spotlight, and why political forecasts are just a small part of it.

(Image credit: Getty Creative.)

Ahead of the 2021 Climate Change Conference, big names in the world of finance are banding together to create ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With new improved carbon offset markets, monitoring and standardisation of emissions goals and an emphasis on channelling capital to projects based on renewable energy, evangelists of so-called 'Green Finance' believe capitalism can reinvent itself to the benefit of the planet. Rhian-Mari Thomas, chief executive of the Green Finance Institute and convenor of the just-finished Green Horizons Summit, outlines the vision. May Boeve of the environmental group 350.org says much of capital is still directed towards climate-damaging industries. And Bill Winters, chief executive of Standard Chartered, explains how an effective carbon offset market would work.

Produced by Frey Lindsay.

(Picture credit: Getty Images.)

Ukraine is in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The President Volodymyr Zelensky says the judiciary are blocking anti-corruption reform. The top judges won't budge and can't be sacked. So what do we know about the President's reform credentials? In this episode, we hear from the former central bank governor Valeria Gontareva who says she’s been a victim of a campaign of harassment that has left her fearing for her life, ever since she introduced anti-corruption reforms. Former economy minister Tymofiy Mylovanov, who resigned from government this year following a disagreement with President Zelensky, gives his view on what more needs to be done to combat corruption in Ukraine. And we hear from President Zelensky’s official spokesperson Iuliia Mendel.

Produced by Joshua Thorpe.

(Image: President Zelensky. Credit: Getty Images)

Stock markets have rocketed on hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough. The BBC's Business Editor Simon Jack explains who the winners and losers have been on the markets so far, and what this could mean for future stimulus packages and inflation. The drugmakers responsible for the vaccine claim it can prevent more than 90% of people from getting Covid-19. We'll hear from Mikael Dolsten, Global Research Chief for one of the drugmakers Pfizer. And epidemiologist Peter Horby of the University of Oxford expresses guarded optimism for the world opening up again.

Produced by Frey Lindsay.

(Image credit: Getty Images.)

US President-elect Joe Biden is to make tackling the coronavirus pandemic his top priority following his win over Donald Trump, his team says. Larry Summers, former director of the National Economic Council under President Obama says the country can’t have a healthy economy without a healthy population. But before the President-elect can get to work, he and his team have a slew of legal challenges from President Trump to fend off. Barry Richard, veteran Florida lawyer who represented then candidate George W. Bush in the 2000 election Supreme Court battle, runs down the merits of those challenges, as well as their flaws.

Produced by Frey Lindsay and Joshua Thorpe.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Pentland Firth is the strait that lies between the far north of mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands.

It's a wild area with some of the fastest tides in the world, where the power of the sea is being harnessed by tidal turbines sitting on the sea bed.

But this type of green energy is still very expensive to generate - so what is the future of tidal and wave power?

We explore some of the ground breaking projects being developed in the region and speak to companies who are trying to reduce costs to make the energy more viable.

Produced and presented by Theo Leggett

(Image: A MeyGen turbine being installed on the sea bed. Credit: MeyGen)

After a nail-biting week, the Oval Office is within Joe Biden’s grasp - on this edition of business weekly we’ll ask what this means for US economic policy. We’ll find out why the markets rallied and ask a former climate negotiator what a Biden presidency could mean for the environment. We’ll also hear from the sailors stuck at sea thanks to covid restrictions. There are concerns that that the plight of the 400,000 sailors unable to go ashore and home could become a humanitarian catastrophe. Plus, we take a closer look at the little Ant that grew into a financial giant as Jack Ma’s financial company is prevented from listing on the stock exchange at the last moment. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

When they cast their votes for US president, Californians also approved a change to the law allowing gig economy companies like Uber and Lyft to keep treating their drivers as contractors, not employees. The move could have major consequences for the gig economy. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Geoff Vetter from the Yes to 22 campaign, which fought for the law change, and to Veena Dubal, law professor at the University of California, who argues the vote is a disaster for workers' rights. Dave Lee, Silicon Valley correspondent for the Financial Times, tells us what it means for the future of companies like Uber.

(Photo: Uber and Lyft logos, Credit: Getty Images)

Vote counting continues in a handful of key battleground states which will determine the outcome of the US presidential election. Democratic candidate Joe Biden has been projected to win Michigan and Wisconsin. He also holds narrow leads in Nevada and Arizona. If he's able to hang on in all these states as final votes are counted, Mr Biden will be almost certain to win. We take a look at what this means for the US economy. International economics policy analyst Pippa Malmgren joins the show to get us up to speed, and then we’ll hear from Jason Furman, the former chief economic adviser to President Obama, who says Biden’s focus will be on trade policy and manufacturing. Meanwhile, Trump’s own former chief economic adviser Tomas Philipson says the president’s economic achievements have been undervalued. And Mohamed El-Erian of Allianz says the balance between a Democratic executive and a Republican senate will not be the kind of stabilising influence economists usually expect.

Producers: Joshua Thorpe and Frey Lindsay

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The world's richest people have become even richer this year, despite an economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Manuela Saragosa speaks to John Matthews, chairman of private jet company AirX, about the surprising resiliance of the private aviation industry despite global travel restrictions. Chuck Collins from the Institute for Policy Studies - a think tank in Washington DC - explains how the richest people in the world have added to their wealth in the pandemic, and what it reveals about inequalities in the US economy.

(Photo: Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and the world's richest man, poses with his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, pose outside the Taj Mahal in India in January 2020. CredIT: Getty Images)

Manuela Saragosa finds out what happened when fifty homeless people were gifted thousands of dollars each. The gifts were part of a social project in Canada and the results were unveiled this month. The results were described as ‘beautifully surprising’ by the project’s leaders.

(Pic of pregnant homeless woman on the corner of a busy street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd via Getty Images).

The new Japanese prime minister has pledged to make his country carbon neutral by 2050. On this edition of Business Weekly we ask how he’s planning to do it. We also take a closer look at nuclear energy to find out whether mass production of smaller reactors could be the way forward for the industry. And what can be done to get more medical grade oxygen to the countries that desperately need it? Plus, as the coronavirus pandemic forces Hollywood to delay the release of big budget movies, how are cinemas being affected? Business Weekly is produced by Matthew Davies and presented by Lucy Burton.

We speak to those who argue parents should give their children money long into adulthood - and others who say the whole of society should be responsible, not just parents.

Raphael Samuel is a 28 year old businessman in India who tried to sue his parents for giving birth to him - without his consent. An Indian court threw out the case on grounds of absurdity, but Raphael isn’t giving up. He’s now filed a case demanding that all parents prove - before they give birth - that they have the ability to give their child the ‘right to life’ - something he thinks should include being able to provide an education, proper food, and healthcare. He believes parents’ financial responsibility for their children doesn’t end when the child hits 18 years of age. In Italy, where almost two thirds of 18-34 year olds live at home, we hear from Tobia della Puppa, who explains why it can be hard to explain to the older generation why this is the case. We also get the perspective of Nina Bandelj, a sociology professor at the University of California Irvine, who tells us how children went from being economically useful, to “priceless”. (Picture: Older person’s hand giving coin to young person’s hand; Credit: utah778/Getty Images)

Producer: Sarah Treanor, with extra production in Italy from Vera Mantengoli

Has one the biggest slums in India escaped the worst of Covid-19? Dharavi is one of the biggest slums in India, if not the whole of Asia. Ed Butler hears from Dharavi residents about life in the slums back in April, and now. Radhika Kapoor, a Delhi economist who's been focussed on the Government response to the crisis, says efforts to protect ordinary workers have been very limited. But the Government rejects that argument. Sanjeev Sanyal, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chief economic advisor, says the Government has done all that it can to stem the tide of the disease.

Producer: Frey Lindsay

(A BMC health care worker collect swab sample of a resident at Dharavi. Photo by Satish Bate via Getty Images)

Could the future of nuclear power be the mass production of cheap small modular reactors?

Justin Rowlatt visits a UK-based consortium led by Rolls Royce that is trying to develop these factory-produced miniature power stations. But how much funding does their chief executive Tom Samson think they need from the UK government to get started, and how long will it take them to deliver their first reactor?

Nuclear power has long had its sceptics. Greenpeace chief scientist Doug Parr explains why they continue to oppose nuclear on safety grounds, even as the need to find carbon-free sources of energy has become more urgent. Meanwhile, nuclear physicist M V Ramana of the University of British Columbia questions the business case for small reactors.

Plus, clean energy consultant Michael Liebreich gives his view on how big - and competitive - the market for small modular reactors could be.

Producer: Laurence Knight

(Picture: Small modular reactor; Credit: Rolls Royce)

Delays to Hollywood blockbusters are prompting a crisis in the cinema industry. Movie studios are putting their biggest releases on hold while the pandemic is still affecting audience numbers.

Mooky Greidinger, boss of cinema giant Cineworld, tells us why this has forced him to close all his screens in the UK and US. Shawn Robbins, senior analyst at BoxOffice Pro, explains why the global success of Christopher Nolan's Tenet wasn't enough to convince the studios to take the risk. And Penn Ketchum, founder of Penn Cinemas in the US state of Pennsylvania, describes the impact that's having on independent cinema operators.

Presented by Ed Butler.

(Photo: A reopened cinema in Wuhan, China. Credit: Getty Images)

Padel is a fast-growing sport, attracting investment from celebrities and major brands. What is it about the game that makes it so attractive?

We hear from professional players of the sport, and head to Sweden, where the Padel boom, and subsequent bust, might hold some lessons for other countries.

(Image: Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo plays Padel during an event in Singapore, 2023. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Daniel Rosney

A former CIA analyst shares her tips on separating what’s true from what’s false. There’s been a lot of nervousness about the role of social media in the run up to next week’s US presidential elections with concerns over voting interference and disinformation campaigns from foreign actors. Cindy Otis was an analyst at the CIA for ten years and her job was to filter through information and weed out fake and misleading news. She has now written a book aimed at young adults called True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News and tells us how fake news works.

How successful has President Trump's America First policy been? On Business Weekly we assess the legacy of his first term and ask what the world wants from the next resident of the White House. We take a look at how effective Covid-19 tracing apps are in tracking and stopping the spread of the disease. Could technology like this be the silver bullet the world is waiting for? As the Hindu festival of Durga Puja begins, we consider how those businesses that rely on the celebrations for the income will cope this year. And we examine the sharp rise in the price of pets during lockdown. Presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

Is the fossil fuel industry being too complacent about the speed at which renewable energy will disrupt their business in the next three decades?

That's the contention of Spencer Dale, chief economist at BP. In an extended interview with Justin Rowlatt, he explains the thinking behind his company's plan to cut its own oil and gas production by 40% before the end of this decade.

And it's not just about heading off the threat of catastrophic climate change. As Spencer explains, even in their business-as-usual scenario they expected an unprecedentedly fast shift towards solar, wind and biomass energy, thanks to steep learning curves and stiffening competition.

Producer: Laurence Knight

(Picture: BP logo at night; Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Why contact tracing technology has been slow to make an impact. Ed Butler speaks to Jenny Wanger from the Linux Foundation Public Health in the US where many states are only now rolling out contact tracing apps, months after many countries around the world. We hear from Colm Harte, technical director at NearForm, the company behind Ireland's app, which has been downloaded by about a quarter of the population. Chan Cheow Hoe, the chief digital technology officer for the Singapore government, talks about the success of digital contact tracing in his country. And the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones explains why contact tracing apps are no longer being seen as the silver bullet in the fight against Covid-19.

(Photo: The National Health Service contact tracing app rolled out in England and Wales. Credit: Getty Images)

The US government has filed charges against Google, accusing the company of violating competition law to preserve its monopoly over internet searches and online advertising. As the Department of Justice sues the search engine google for being a monopoly, could all tech giants be under threat? We hear from Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google and Jack Poulsen, a software engineer and former Google employee. We also get the view of Sally Hubbard, a former New York anti-trust attorney and current director of enforcement strategy at the Open Markets Institute. (Pic of Google logo by Jakub Porzycki via Getty Images).

When President Trump came to power in 2016 he vowed he would scrap the international trade agreements he believed had cost a huge number of US jobs, and declared his intent to tip the trade balance back in America's favour. He wanted to take on China and what he saw as its dominance in the global marketplace.

How has this 'America First' policy worked out in the ensuing four years, and what has it meant for the US's trading partners?

As part of our look at the US elections 2020: and What the World Wants, Manuela Saragosa examines whether President Trump has succeeded in his aim, and she finds out what companies from China to Canada hope will come out of the next presidency. Manuela talks to Herbert Lun, managing director of Wing Sang electrical, whose factory is in China's Pearl River Delta. He produces electronic hair products for the American market - how has his business coped with the threat of US tariffs? While Mark Rowlinson, counsel at the United Steelworkers of Canada, tells Manuela that tariffs have brought some Canadian steel and aluminium producers - operating in an already very tight market - to the edge of bankruptcy.

The BBC's economics correspondent, Andrew Walker, is on hand to provide context and analysis throughout, and you can read more on the BBC website and hear more about the USA and the rest of the world, across the World Service this week.

Manuela and her guests also consider the alternative to President Trump - a Joe Biden presidency - and whether that would make it any easier to do business with the US. There might be a change of tone, but would he actually dismantle the protectionist policies of the last four years?

Picture: Trump Tower in New York. Credit: Getty

A commodity associated with the destruction of tropical rainforest in South East Asia may soon have a synthetic replacement.

But can it match palm oil's magic properties? Will consumers accept it in their food? And what will it mean for the farmers whose livelihoods depend on palm oil plantations?

Manuela Saragosa speaks to Shara Ticku, co-founder of the biotech firm C16 Biosciences, which is pioneering the new plantation-free product, as well as Anita Neville of Indonesia's largest privately owned palm oil grower, Golden Agri-Resources. Plus Veronika Pountcheva of the international food wholesalers Metro Group explains why they are actively looking at the synthetic alternative.

Producer: Laurence Knight

(Picture: A tub of palm oil; Credit: Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images)

Golden passports and cash for citizenship - a legitimate way to for countries to get investment or a scheme open to abuse and corruption? That’s the big question we’ll be looking at on this episode of Business Weekly. We look at why the wealthy want to acquire them. We also hear from Cyprus where a passport corruption scandal has rocked the nation. Meanwhile, the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Economics tells us about the unusual way in which he discovered he'd won, and of course, about the game theory that netted him and a colleague the award. And we hear from the African animators who are taking on the world. Business Weekly is presented by Lucy Burton and produced by Matthew Davies.

As talks between the EU and the UK enter their final stretch, what sort of Brexit are businesses preparing for? Manuela Saragosa speaks to Chayenne Wiskerke of the Dutch onion growing company Wiskerke Onions which exports to the UK. She also speaks to Martin Bysh the founder of Huboo, a UK fulfilment company which works mostly with the e-commerce industry and exports all over the world. They tell her how they've been coping with the years of uncertainty around the Brexit negotiations. (Picture credit: Getty Creative)

It’s been a tough year for much of the entertainment industry, with the pandemic causing production to be halted on all but a few projects. Filming bubbles and closed sets have been costly and time consuming. But one sector is booming – animation – especially in Africa. We hear from animators and producers across the continent about why demand for their work has never been higher. Vivienne Nunis speaks to Chris Morgan of Fundi Films, which recently produced the animation series My Better World. She's also joined by award-winning Kenyan animator and artist Ng’endo Muki and Nick Wilson, founder of the African Animation Network. Self-taught Nigerian animator Ridwan Moshood tells us how his passion for the craft took him from watching video tutorials in the internet cafes of Lagos to his own production company.

(Picture credit: A still from the animated series My Better World. Picture Credit: My Better World/Chris Morgan)

Up to 40% of food in Africa and India is wasted because of a lack of what's called "the cold chain" - the infrastructure keeping food chilled and fresh, from farm to fork.

Many small-scale farmers have no access to any kind of refrigeration, meaning they're losing income and wasting food that could otherwise be sold.

Devina Gupta meets the entrepreneur who is building pay-as-you-go solar powered cold rooms in India, and hears from farmers, traders and experts on how we can keep food cold as the population grows and the planet warms up.

(Picture: A farmer carries a crate of mangoes from an orchard on the outskirts of Bangalore. Credit: Getty Images)

Presenter: Devina Gupta Producer: Lexy O'Connor

What's it like for older people losing their job during the Covid pandemic?

Tamasin Ford speaks to 59 year old lighting crew chief Michael Heggett. He's worked on events like Princess Diana’s funeral, the London’s Olympic games and Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday concert. He had a fantastic career until Covid hit and he lost all his work. He fears he might never be employed again. Patrick Button, an assistant economics professor at Tulane University in the USA says his research shows that older workers are being disproportionately impacted by Covid. And Yvonne Sonsino from Mercer, a global human resources firm, says that the long term outcomes for older people are not good, particularly for their pensions?

(Picture credit: Getty Creative)

Why do female entrepreneurs in Africa not get the investment capital they need? When women are navigating the male dominated finance and start-up scene in Africa, sexism can be a daily occurence. Efe Ukala is the founder of Impact Her - an organisation to help female entrepreneurs in Africa get access to finance. She says at one meeting she went to she was the only woman in the room and when one man joined them he went round the table to introduce himself to everyone except her. Mélanie Keita is the co-founder and CEO of Melanin Capital, a financial advisory firm that connects social impact entrepreneurs in Africa with investors. She tells Tamasin Ford that on a number of occasions she has set up meetings with potential investors only for them to hit on her. Manka Angwafo, the founder and CEO of agribusiness company, Grassland Cameroon, says women just aren't listened to on the continent. And Tokunboh Ishmael is the co-founder and MD of Alithea Capital, a private equity fund management firm based in Nigeria which has set up a fund aimed at proactively seeking out female founders and diverse management teams to invest in their businesses. (Picture credit: Getty creative)